Dollar Academy welcomed Mr Nicholas Mwangala, the Head Teacher of Malindi Primary School HGM in Kenya, who arrived in the Clackmannanshire town this week as part of a government-funded education initiative to widen young people’s knowledge of the world around them. This visit will be reciprocated in February 2012 when Dollar teacher, Mrs Gini Currie, will visit Malindi for a week.

This exchange is part of the 'Global School Partnerships Programme', funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development, which supports a shared understanding of global issues between pupils and teachers from UK, together with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.   The  visit has given Dollar pupils the opportunity to speak with Mr Mwangala about his experiences teaching children in a very different environment, and the time to explore some of the cultural and social similarities and   differences between the Kenya and the UK. During the  exchange teachers will design a shared curriculum specifically aimed at developing  a greater awareness of global issues in the two schools.   

Dollar Academy's involvement in the Global Schools Partnership Programme was organised by Deputy Head Teacher of the Prep and Junior School, Mrs Julia Adamson. She commented, "It has been a great pleasure to have Mr Mwangala visit us. Dollar Academy’s initial relationship with the town of Malindi in Kenya was through our support  for a charity for children with disabilities located adjacent to the school. Mr Mwangala leads some remarkable work in his school of 1700 pupils, including teaching many of the disabled from the project,  despite extraordinarily  challenging circumstances. When we met last year, we realised that we had the potential to facilitate international collaboration through the Global Partnership scheme which promotes equitable and professional links between schools. His expertise and international perspective can add much to our children's understanding of how global issues affect us here in the UK and the impact that they have in countries around the world."

In addition to spending time in the classrooms at Dollar Academy,  Mrs Adamson has also organised that Mr Mwangala visit local attractions in our capital city and the Clackmannanshire area, and that he will accompany the Dollar Academy Pipe Band who are playing at the HMC conference in St Andrews later this week.

October 2011